For the band Aswekeepsearching, it all started when lead vocalist and guitarist Udippan Sarmah and Shubham Gurung got together to launch their debut musical project. “We hail from Ahmedabad, a city that was then dry of good venues to play music at. We later met Gautam Deb and Bob, both who hail from Pune,” says Udippan. He adds, “Our journey is very similar to that of any other band. Taking buses, trains and even travelling without tickets to make sure we reach in time to play a gig since the initial days, those were tough to crack.” Five years later, the four-member band is touring the world and releasing albums at will, namely Khwaab and Zia. Ahead of the release of their third album, we caught up with the band and found out more about their new set of songs and how their approach towards songwriting has evolved over the years. Excerpts from the chat:
How much has your sound evolved over the years?
Bob: There is a distinguishable sonic progression with each album, and the upcoming release will definitely highlight that. I feel that even though each album has different colours, moods and, atmospheres to offer, you will still be able to trace the Aswekeepsearching vibe right from the upcoming album all the way back to the first EP.
Tell us more about your upcoming album. What’s its name and how many songs are there in it?
Uddipan: We’re waiting for a few more days before we disclose the name, but yes, the new album is ready. It’s got eight tracks and we will be kicking off private listening sessions from this month.
Shubham: In this album, we have tried to blend in influences from modern pop, electronica, blues, and funk. This has helped us shift our approach to songwriting itself and make this album different from the earlier ones.
How different are these songs when compared to the older ones?
Shubham: It’s the progression of our songwriting, which has changed tremendously from our initial years. The newer tracks have a lot more experimentation going on instrumentally and lyrically, while still trying to maintain the depth, simplicity and essence of the band.
What inspires you to make new music?
Bob: It could be the simplest of things like conversations and experiences that we’ve shared while travelling together as a band or individually. Also, not having things work out the way you want and sometimes situations resolving themselves. And then there’s the love we have for the people who matter.
Post-rock music has its own niche set of listeners.
Uddipan: The genre has grown in India in the last couple of years, with international bands coming in to play shows here. It’s a genre that’s very sound driven and is not always a favourite of the masses. We see bigger crowds with every new gig of ours. The only thing I wish for is to have more post-rock artistes coming up in the country.
Who are the post-rock bands who have inspired you?
Uddipan: Olafur Arnolds, Tycho, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky and Lights out Asia.
Are there any tours coming up?
Uddipan: Yes, most definitely. We will have a couple of tours to support this new album in October and November. The sets will be a good mix of the new album and crowd favourites from albums like Khwaab and Zia.
Listen to their music on Bandcamp.